30 Ways You Can Serve the Church

By jsturgeon - March 23, 2018

Here are 30 ways anybody, even you, (yes you!), can serve the church! The New Testament describes the church as a family of people adopted together or as a body with different parts depending on each other. Jesus came to serve, not to be served, so we are all gathered together and called to serve one another! Find one of these areas of service today and ask your church leadership how you can serve starting now!

Teach

There are many opportunities in the church to teach. You may be able to serve the church by teaching in a Sunday School class for kids or adults, or a weekday night Bible study. Teaching Biblically is fundamental and there are many great supplementary resources that will help you teach on certain books of the Bible or topics in life.

Preach

If you are willing and able to dig into God’s Word then you can serve your pastor or lead preacher by being willing to preach. Preaching God’s Word is a great privilege and responsibility that many pastors would be willing to teach and disciple others to do. Your pastor may be able to give you great resources for interpreting a text of the Bible and crafting a sermon that would bless your church.

Pray

God has gone to the greatest lengths to reconcile a fallen, sinful people to himself through his Son Jesus. How we connect to God in this reconciled relationship, as Jesus displayed and taught his disciples, is through prayer. Today, you can pray for the spiritual and physical health of your church family and church leadership. Pray for your town, your state, your country. In addition to praying for God’s blessings you can also pray against the spiritual enemies and temptations we face.

Give

God is the Creator and Owner of all things. Out of his abundance he has given us all of our needs. As we bear God’s image we mirror God’s generosity by giving out of what God has given us. There are several Biblical examples of how God describes the heart of a giver and some principles on giving.

Donate

Donating is part of giving but has more to do with items that may be useful in addition to your regular financial giving. Some churches are equipped with a food pantry or clothes closet. Or, some ministries in your church may be able to use your old iPad you’ve recently upgraded, a spare phone you’ve kept in a drawer that someone in the church could use, or musical equipment for the band that you don’t use any more.

Connect with People

Church leadership cannot personally connect with every member of the church. In fact, to focus on the ministry of the Word and spiritual leadership, pastoral leaders need to depend on you, other members of the church family, to connect with members of the church regularly. Not only do you have gifts and wisdom to share with members of the church but you are even called a royal priesthood, stewards of the same gospel that has impacted your life.

Greeting Team

Some churches have a greeting team, a staff of friendly volunteers to greet members and visitors at the doors. If your church doesn’t have this, you can make yourself an unofficial greeting team just by opening the door with a smile, handing out bulletins, and making a point to meet and greet unfamiliar faces.

Kids' Ministry

Every healthy children’s ministry needs many volunteers to help teach God’s Word to youth at many ages.

Youth Group

Teens are a crucial age group to reach in their growing faith. You can serve the teens in your church by teaching them in life skills, discipling them in faith, or being a resource for the youth group. If you have a pool, offer to host a youth group pool party, for example.

Nursery

In addition to the teens, you can serve your church by helping new moms and mothers with little ones by spending time in the nursery. Moms are busy. What a blessing it is to know your baby is being cared for so you can be spiritually fed without distraction on a Sunday morning.

Bible Studies

This goes along with the way you can serve your church by teaching. Gather some neighbors, your family or your friends and do a Bible study.

Connect with Other Churches

God’s family is bigger than just one worship gathering or denomination. Even though we may do some things differently sometimes, there is a lot of common ground for different churches to connect with one another. Are there friends in your circle who go to a different church? Maybe team up for a service project, a men’s retreat, or a combined Christmas Eve service.

Clean

When the church building gets used for different services on Sundays and throughout the week, dust and dirt get carried in and the trash piles up. Sign up for a once a month evening shift to vacuum the sanctuary or mop the gathering hall.

Landscaping

A great way to keep up on the church facilities is to help with landscaping. Maybe the snow needs to be plowed, sidewalks need shoveling, or the grass needs cutting. Look for opportunities to reseed the lawn, plant some flowers or put a new coat of paint on the trim.

Outdoor Events

Serving your church is always a bit of extra fun outside the normal Sunday gathering. Put on an outdoor event like a block party, a baptism at the lake, or a beach day.

Music

God has given some folks in the church musical gifts. If you can sing or play an instrument then maybe you can serve in the music ministry. Even if singing isn’t your strength, see if there is a way you can serve in the tech booth with the soundboard or slideshow.

Setup

Some churches require a lot of setup and breakdown, especially in temporary meeting places or rented facilities. Come early, stay late, and serve the church by helping with setup.

Accounting

One of the behind-the-scenes ways you can serve the church is in the accounting department. Maybe you can count the tithe with another elder or deacon in your church. Maybe there are budgets and accounts you can oversee if numbers are your language.

Deacons

If you have a heart for serving, ask your elders about being a deacon. The New Testament shows us that deacons are lead servants who support the elders in the ministry of the Word.

Mission Trips

Serving in a mission trip is a great way to know and support areas of need in our world. There are many service projects that just need a willing group of extra hands. Other mission trips are meant more for equipping you to serve better in your home context.

Participate

Go to the events that your church promotes. Your church leadership exists for the building up of the church. You can serve just by being a joyful and willing participant in your church’s programs and events.

Don’t Inhibit

Sometimes the best way we can serve is by recognizing when we can delegate ways we’re serving to others who may be even more equipped for certain tasks. We can serve the church by not inhibiting the growth and progress of others in our church family.

Vote

Depending on the structure of church government in your local congregation, you may be able to serve by voting. You may vote on new deacons and elders being appointed, a different style of chairs in the sanctuary, or some measures of direction in the congregation.

Events

The church doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel if there are already good events going on in your town. Maybe you can serve by volunteering at your town’s summer festival or fall harvest fair? You can even represent your church at a booth or float.

Give Time

Besides giving tangible things, you may have more time on your hands than resources. Spending your time on others is a great way to serve the church.

Give Talents

Besides music and other gifts previously mentioned, you may have other talents up your sleeve for serving the church. Can you fix cars? Can you hem a wedding dress? Can you bake an amazing cake? Can you design a website? There are tons of ways you can use your talents to serve the church! Be creative!

Give Treasures

This is a twist on the “giving” or “donating” idea of serving. The principle of giving what we treasure is more of an investment into the church, the lives of others, and even your own spiritual investment. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Make Disciples

You have been called to steward the life-changing good news of the Gospel. Part of stewarding is investing this faith in others. Anyone who has received the Gospel should also feel the responsibility of discipling (teaching) others in that faith as well.

Be a Missionary at Home

Do you work at the local restaurant or somewhere in town? Then you automatically have an open door into places even your pastor doesn’t. You have access to your coworkers’ lives better than anyone else in the church. You can serve your church by being a missionary to your place of work – in your own hometown!

Use Your Business Savvy

Are you an entrepreneur or Business-to-Business rep? Maybe a professional designer or accountant? Whatever your field of expertise is, ask your church leadership if you could serve the church through your profession.